The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil
by dustytiger
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. Reid needs a friend and an escape after the events in Nevada.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 1)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. Rather-Reid-ey in later parts.  
Notes: This fic is finished so I can tell you there will be a character death, and there is a few surprise twists in here. I am rather evil with the chapter breaks but I can update daily as long as I have internet access and ff(dot)net is not being stupid. This is my most drama filled angsty fic ever. I would hardcore heart feedback. This will likely be nine parts. But can reasonably end at eight if I don't get around to writing part nine.

Special thanks to; Bonnie for her grammar nazi-ing and helping with some humour in this angst ridden plot, as well to Jen for being "the drama queen" and ping ponging ideas with me. You know I love you both.

* * *

Alan Rigby took a deep breath as he walked. He enjoyed his nightly walks because he knew that he was lucky he could still skulk around at dusk. He never touched anyone anymore, but he could watch them, and everyone just thought he was an average guy taking a walk to calm his nerves before bed.

He talked to most of the women on his walking route, although they were mostly joggers. He loved to watch them as they ran toward him, especially the ones who giggled in their ill-fitting workout wear. He took what he could get. He was not going to some cage after he was lucky enough to get away once.

He tried not to think of the old days. It made him want to start touching women, and he knew that touching would lead to all of the things he had been arrested for. Alan thanked his high priced lawyer every day for getting him off on such a technicality. Now he knew what he had to do to stay free. All he could do was admire beautiful women from afar. He was surprised to hear a familiar voice call his name from behind him.

"You can't arrest me for nothing," he laughed. "If it was a crime to look at beautiful things then we'd all be in jail."

"Maybe that's not why I'm out here tonight," the voice replied.

"There is only one reason a person in law enforcement talks to me, and that's because they think they can catch me doing something stupid. I ain't that dumb. I ain't breaking any rules, so how about you back the hell off?"

"What about the weapon you're packing?"

He laughed. "It's been long enough. I don't have the record thanks to my lawyer. I pass the requirements to carry a fire arm in this state. You of all people should know I never used a gun on my victims. I always liked to use my hands."

"You're a sick fuck."

"I am," he nodded. "But I'm a free fuck."

"You disgust me!"

Alan suddenly felt something going around his neck. He panicked**;** he had never been on the receiving end of so much violence. A hand went to his side holster, and quickly pulled it out. Now he was very panic-stricken. He felt the barrel against the back of his head. Then he heard the last sound he ever would.

The owner of the mysterious voice then took the rope which had been around his neck. The figure then bound his hands, as **he** lay in a pool of blood on the ground. The shadow then walked away, picking up a cell phone.

"You'll find a body in the back ally of Kurt's Market. It's gruesome. You will want to find it before one of those nice young ladies who work there finds it."

End Part 1

Notes: I know this part was short and missing our fave BAUers. They come in the next one. Bonus points to those who guess who the unsub is before I get to that. I suck a titles but I like when Reid uses the word "betwixt" cause I'm a geek, and it works as a title.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 2)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. Rather-Reid-ey in later parts. Enter the team yay!  
Notes: I am fully aware the first part was a tease. But I keep warning you I – am – eeevil. I have made a point to trying to explore all the members of the team. Although Reid does become more important later cause let's face it I love that character. Okay that first one was far too short you get a one day only twofer.

* * *

"This is our latest victim, Alan Rigby," said Jennifer Jareau as the image of a man bound like he was hand cuffed, but with rope came on the screen. "He was shot in the back of the head, and the body was staged with the rope. There were also laceration marks on his neck. That makes six in three weeks."

"Query," Penelope Garcia exclaimed, raising her hot pink feather pen in the air. "If all these guys were rapists, why are we taking this case?"

"They were never convicted," David Rossi explained. "No matter what they did in the past that doesn't justify killing them like this."

"All I see is icky rapists who are a waste of air anyway."

"That may be true, but a serial killer is still worse to have roaming around a country then suspected rapists."

"There are crazy people out there who think computer hackers, even as beautiful as you are, should be put in jail, and not recruited by the FBI. That doesn't mean they should be allowed to kidnap you and put you in a dungeon somewhere," Derek Morgan explained.

"I wouldn't be complaining if it was your dungeon of pleasure," she laughed. "But I see what you are getting at."

"Can we please focus?" Aaron Hotchner sighed, trying to get his team back on topic. "Preliminary victimology is fairly evident. This unsub is targeting men who have been released on rape charges. What does that tell us about our unsub?"

"The unsub is a vigilante," Emily Prentiss offered. "He thinks that the system has failed and takes matters into his own hands. He probably has a great respect for women."

"Or he is a she?" Spencer Reid suggested. "It's very likely this unsub is a woman. She attacks from behind. She gains her victims' trust. A reformed, for lack of a better word, rapist would be at ease around women because he won't see them as a threat."

"This woman was likely raped herself, and either never reported it or her rapist was released," Morgan added. "She is trying to get closure for what happened to her by giving it to other victims."

"I'll check to see who the first victim's victim was," said Garcia. "Did that sentence make sense? I'll start looking at all of the women who were 'allegedly' raped by these scum-bags." She air quoted the word allegedly, very grudgingly.

"Garcia, please try to see these guys as some kind of victim, all right?" Hotch asked.

"I don't have to profile them. I just have to look into their pasts, and Sir I bet I'm gonna find a lot of slime."

"Just try to be objective. We don't want anything to influence this case. It's already going to be a hard one."

"Yes, Sir," she picked up her things, and disappeared into her office.

Reid, Morgan and Prentiss were all reading through the case files that were scattered around the conference table.

"What do I need to set up?" JJ asked Rossi and Hotch softly, so not to disturb the team.

The two senior agents looked at her, dumbfounded. "Normally we'd go **to **the city that is being hit, but there are six victims in four cities. There is no way of knowing where this guy is gonna hit next," Rossi explained.

"We can't sit around here and wait for the next victim to pop up."

"We also can't be thousands more miles away," Hotch explained.

"We could always split up. Go tothe cities with multiple victims. We have the jet; it's not like we can't get to the next city if we are getting information in another," Rossi said.

"We have outdoor crime scenes and only half of them are in somewhat secluded areas. We are not going to get much there. I think it may be a waste of resources until we know more. We are not going to find our unsub looking in these guys' houses."

"It seems wrong to be sitting in a conference room when someone might be killed."

Reid stopped reading suddenly. He looked up, like a dog who had just noticed a squirrel. He stood up and began to write on the board. The rest of the team looked at him, trying to make sense of the list that he was making.

"What's that?" Morgan asked.

"If you look in the files, all of the victims were killed with different guns," Reid explained.

"So she's a gun collector?"

"No. I don't think so. I'll have to get Garcia to run checks on all of them, but I think she's killing them with their own weapons."

"That is one unprepared unsub," Prentiss said. "Why would you go after a rapist without a weapon?"

"She has the rope. She must strangle them to get the guns from them, but not kill them. She uses their own guns because it will emasculate them."

"Why not sodomise them?"

"Then she is doing the thing she hates. She wants to make them pay. She wants to humiliate them, but not degrade them," Morgan explained.

"She's not transferring her feelings onto the victims. She doesn't want to be a rapist. She wants to be a killer," Reid added.

"Maybe she wasn't raped, there's a different reason why she's killing these bastards," Prentiss suggested. "In a strange way that makes sense to me. But how does she get close enough to them to get the rope around their neck?"

"Maybe they know her."

"How?"

"I have a theory on that. It fits into your theory that she was never raped," Reid started.

"What if she is in law enforcement? She can't use her own weapon; it's too easily traced. It would explain why she ties them the way she does. It mimics handcuffing them. It's not sexual. It's a statement. She is trying to say that in death they have been caught."

"So her victims know her?" Rossi asked.

"Yes, they must. Why else would they stop whatever they are doing in order to listen to her? If they run away then she has reason to arrest them. If they stop, and do as they are told they have nothing to fear. They got away with their charges they are not going to do something stupid that will get them thrown into jail. They know they are not going to get so lucky the second time," Morgan explained. "These guys may be scumbags but are not stupid. They know what is going to happen to them in jail, so they make sure they become law abiding citizens. The fear of becoming the same kind of victim as they've victimised is enough to make them stop."

Garcia came back into the conference room. The usual light hearted bounce in her step was missing. She had a lot of paper work in her hands. She put it down on top of the files on the table. Reid, Morgan, and Prentiss just sighed as they saw their load double. They were sure that Garcia wasn't done, as the printer was now spitting out paper as well.

"I don't think that the first victim was really the first victim," Garcia sighed. "I found a whole bunch of other likely victims. Their victims' information is printing now."

"Based on what?" Hotch asked.

"Just because I'm kind of OCD I always search all the data bases that I can access for similar cases. As much as I love JJ she gets information from one source, local police station, the FBI, what have you. Anyway normally when I do a broader search I don't come up with anything. But this time, we just have the hits that areon the FBI radar screen because the victims were in our jurisdiction."

"What did you find?"

"Eight more victims going back two years, although these were all committed in New York City or Seattle."

"Reid start a geographical profile," Hotch ordered.

Reid nodded, taking the files she had just brought in. "Is that everything?"

"Yes, it's all I've found. The rest of what is printing is the information about these guy's victims," Garcia explained.

"Why do I have a feeling we are going to be drowning in paper soon?" sighed Morgan.

"I'm sorry Gorgeous. I need you guys to look at everything so you can tell me where to narrow down my searches."

"Thanks Baby Girl."

Everyone began to take files, while Reid took out some maps, and began to mark where all of the victims were killed. He knew that this was going to be difficult because there were victims from one end of the country to the other. Hotch meanwhile took a few files, and sat down reading them. He was being surprisingly quiet.

End Part 2

Notes: Well we have the team now, so that's good. Things are going to get interesting. I left a few hints if you feel like unsub guessing. PS Hotch gets stranger there is a reason for it you'll see.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 3)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. The team has to travel to Seattle.  
Notes: This chapter _might _be moi stalling before dropping a bomb, but it was fun, and it's my fic so my rules. This may be why I am evil.

* * *

Reid looked up from the map he was working on. He knew that he was onto something he just hoped he was right. He quickly double-checked the dates on the files, and nodded triumphantly.

"What did you find?" asked Hotch.

"I think our unsub lives somewhere near Seattle. Although she goes out of state, she always returns there. It's the city with the most murders, and a lot of the victims were originally tried there," Reid explained.

"She also calls the police in Seattle after every kill to tell them to clean up the mess before anyone finds the body. It shows remorse, and familiarity with the city. In the other cities she tries to hide the bodies but in Seattle she always leaves them out in the open," added Mogan.

"All right so it looks like we are going to Seattle," sighed Hotch.

"There is something I'm missing, something that is naggingly familiar," Reid explained, looking at the map.

"I'm sure it will come to you when you're on the plane," Morgan assured his colleague and friend. "You're the one with the photographic memory."

"Eidetic, but whatever this is**,** I can't pull itout of my brain."

"There is a lot of stuff crammed in there for you to file through," Rossi laughed. "You'll get it eventually."

"I agree that there is something familiar about this whole thing, but I can't put my finger on it either," Morgan sighed.

"How about you get your things together?" Hotch suggested. "The sooner we get to Seattle the sooner we might find something that will nail this guy."

"Who is not a guy," Prentiss mumbled.

"I'm still not convinced this is a female unsub. It's too obvious that a rapist murderer would be a woman. I think we still need to work on this profile before we can release it to anyone."

"But it's a good preliminary," Rossi said. "We could give it internally. Garcia would be able to get it out in less then an hour. It might stop this."

"It's not ready yet!" snapped Hotch.

The whole team was shocked; they had never seen him react like that before. They began to pick up their paperwork, then left the room in order to get ready for their trip to Seattle. Morgan knocked on the door to Garcia's office. She smiled letting him in.

"To what do I owe this pleasure Gorgeous?" Garcia grinned.

"I was hoping I could borrow an umbrella. It looks like we are off to Seattle," he explained.

She laughed. "Of course you can borrow my umbrella sweetness. I should warn you, it's purple though."

"You're slipping Baby Girl, I was expecting something pink that would have been an affront to my masculinity."

"And purple is the new colour of machismo? The last time I checked purple is," she trailed off when he interrupted her.

"I am aware, but I don't think I am going to have any time to find ladies on this case, but I know I am gonna find a lot of rain. I'd rather my head be protected than my ego."

"That's one of the smartest things I've ever heard you say."

He grinned at her. "You calling me stupid?"

"Far from it. I am just calling you a man. Be careful out there for me."

"Always," he assured her. "Besides, there is this crazy technical analyst that has the knack for calling right before I do anything particularly stupid."

She smiled at him, handing him the umbrella he had requested. She then went back to work looking at all to the victims' original victims for some kind of connection, like Hotch had requested. She had tried to question why she would be looking the women, and not the actual victims, but he had assured her this would help the case the most, so she began to work at it.

There were a lot of rape victims, and she knew this was going to take a while. She was going to need a lot of coffee for this. Hotch was filling up a travel mug as she arrived at the coffee maker. It wasn't often he drank coffee.

"Sir, is there something I should know about?" Garcia asked.

"No, Garcia. I just got less sleep then usual, and I need a little something to get me motivated today. I have a feeling this is going to be a long case."

"Oh," she said. "I guess there is a lot of information to process on this one. I'm not sure that these searches are going to pull anything up."

"Just keep running them, please. Something tells me the answer is in the rape victims not the murder victims."

"Okay, if you're sure," she sighed, as he walked away.

Reid then came over to the coffee maker. She noticed that his travel mugs were getting bigger and bigger as time went on. Garcia often wondered just how much coffee the youngest member of the team drank. It always amused her to watch him add his coffee to his sugar. She laughed.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Wouldn't it be easier to drink Red Bull, you clearly only like the jolt," she explained.

He shrugged. "That stuff is expensive. Coffee might taste like liquid dirt but it's cheap. If you have enough sugar it tastes like smoky sugar."

"The smell of coffee always reminds me of my grandmother. She would always hunch over me with her coffee breath, and ask 'Penelope you're a smart girl. Why aren't you married yet?'"

"Maybe I will switch to Red Bull. I don't want anyone remembering me for my coffee breath. I'm sure you had something brilliant as a reply to that question."

"I always told her that I wasn't married because I _am_ a smart woman," laughed Garcia. "Hotch seems to think this case is going to take a while, so I figured I should choke back some caffeine and think about my Gran."

"Good idea. I wish I could focus on something else. He doesn't trust the profile. If one of us isn't confident it's right then it can feel like a wild goose chase, looking for that missing piece to make someone believe we know what the hell we're talking about."

"Hotch is questioning a profile, isn't a huge part of his job trusting you?"

"I guess it is, but he also has to make sure we are on the right track. I might have opened my mouth too soon about the unsub being a woman."

"Why do you think it's a woman?"

He shrugged. "There is something familiar about it, and my brain said that the case it's similar to was committed by a woman."

"Good luck then. I'll try to find you something great."

"Thanks Garcia. I should grab my travel bag, and get a move on. Hopefully the sooner we get to Seattle the sooner we will catch her."

She nodded. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will," he assured her, walking away with his coffee, and his messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

End Part 3

Notes: Okay so the coffee stuff wasn't entirely necessary but I like writing happy things. Hearts to Bonnie for the making a quick idea into something utterly silly.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 4)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. There may be a wild goose chase happening in Seattle cause Hotch has a bee in his bonnet.  
Notes: I think this whole Hotch acting odd thing was Bonnie's idea cause he thinks he knows who the unsub is and he is NOT okay with it. I am nearly done being evil and holding out on you. But keep guessing!

* * *

The team was now on the jet on their way to Seattle. All of them were still looking at case files. Normally at this point there would be more ideas flying around and less reading. They wondered if they could really find something new by looking at the same information over and over again. Hotch meanwhile was writing as he read.

"I think Reid was onto something with this unsub being a woman," Rossi pointed out, as he flipped through paperwork. "It fits."

"I don't want to focus on such a small portion of this profile," Hotch sighed. "Female serial killers are exceedingly rare. If we release this profile saying that the unsub is a woman, and it's not we are going to have PR disaster on our hands."

"That is why we have JJ."

JJ looked up from what she was reading. "I'm not sure even I have enough training to polish that one over. If Hotch is right that this isn't a woman a lot more people could die before we catch this creep. I never thought I'd actually say that I don't want rapists to die. We need to do this right."

"A lot more people are going to die if we put out a flawed profile."

"I don't know why you are insisting that this profile is wrong," Rossi sighed. "Look at what we have: a woman fits the profile. Why won't you budge on this?"

"Because, I don't think we should exclude men as suspects. Reid why did you say this is a woman?"

Reid looked up from the map he was looking at, still trying to find some kind of a pattern, but not seeing anything. "Actually I can't exactly explain that."

"So, you don't have anything to back it up?"

"I put it out there, and we were able to find facts to back the theory up. I suggested it might be a woman because there is something familiar about this case."

"What is so familiar?" Hotch pretty much demanded.

"I'm not really sure. I just know that whatever is familiar about this has something to do with a woman."

"That's not good enough to base a profile on!"

"Calm down Hotch," Morgan interrupted. "I don't know if it's this case or something outside of work that is stressing you out, but seriously acting like that is not helping. Reid explained himself, and the rest of us can all back up what hethought with facts. We have sixteen likely victims. We need to put something out to stop this."

"You need to convince me. I am aware of the gravity of this situation, but I just feel that there is a flaw in this profile."

Prentiss broke her silence. "A male unsub would never assume he could get a weapon from his victim. The victims would trust a female to not hurt them because he would feel he could over power her. Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

"I just want you to look over everything again, and see how it would fit if we actually have a male unsub like I suspect."

"That changes everything," Reid pointed out.

"Then you had better get thinking. I want a complete profile for both sexes before we release this."

"We may not have time for that," Rossi pointed out. "We can't stall even if want to because the world really is better without these victims in it."

"I want this done right. That's all."

Everyone let out a collective sigh and began to look through the files once again, looking at everything from a different angle then they had before. They were never so glad for the plane to land so that they could take a break from what they were doing as they rode to the FBI field office they were going to be working out of.

"If it's not the BAU team," said a senior agent as they all walked in. "We set up the conference room for you. So you really think this guy might be under our noses?"

JJ shook his hand. "Thank you. It's just a geographical profile right now. You have the most bodies here so we thought we should start here."

"If you need anything don't hesitate to ask. Have you contacted the locals?"

"Yes, we have. They have also offered up any space we may need. But the team feels more comfortable with more room, and with technology that is compatible with our tech's," explained JJ. "You know how profilers can be."

The agent laughed. "Yes, I do Agent Jareau. It's been a long time since I have had to share our office with this team, however. If I remember correctly the last time you were here you stole one of my best agents from me, Hotch."

Hotch laughed nervously. "Yes I did. By the way we have a couple of new faces. Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss, who replaced the afore-mentioned agent we stole. I believe you already know David Rossi?"

"Nice to meet you Agent Prentiss," he said shaking her hand, then turned his attention to Rossi. "Who doesn't know the infamous David Rossi? I still can't believe you would come back to all of this."

"I got bored," said Rossi, with a chuckle. "As much as I'd like to catch up on old times, we have a profile to get out, or two."

"Two?"

"It's a long story," Hotch assured him. "Reid, Morgan, you work on the profile from here. Rossi and Prentiss you go check out the crime scenes see if anything at all jumps out at you. JJ we're going to go talk to the local police to see if they have anything for us that Garcia can't access."

Everyone nodded, and went off to where they needed to go. Reid and Morgan sat in the conference room, once again feeling like they were drowning in a pile of paperwork. Reid felt like he had read everything a hundred times now, and nothing was changing in his mind. He tried to make the profile thinking it was a male but he wasn't having any luck. Morgan meanwhile threw a file down on the conference table out of frustration.

"I have never felt like I was wasting my time the whole time I have worked for Hotch," sighed Morgan.

Reid looked up from what he was reading. "Me either, but he wants it done. Who are we to argue?"

"We could be out catching this woman."

"Or man."

"You don't actually believe that do you?"

"Nope, and neither does Hotch," stated Reid.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that Hotch is lying. You haven't noticed? Last time I checked you have been a profiler longer then me. You've tried to teach me everything you know, and you've never noticed it before?"

"Obviously not, what am I missing?"

"I've noticed that when Hotch lies he breaths through his mouth, the rest of the time he breaths through his nose. I think it might be a way for him to calm down. Who knew that Hotch knew Yoga techniques?" laughed Reid. "Anyway every time he has mentioned anything about doing the male profile he starts breathing through his mouth."

"How the hell do you notice that shit man?"

"Isn't that part of our job? Noticing a person's behaviour, breathing is part of their behaviour. Besides, I've seen Hotch lie a lot to talk down an unsub. I guess **I** just notice these things."

"Not with each other, but it sure is coming in handy. You'd think that Garcia would have found something by now and called us."

"You'd think."

Morgan picked up his phone, and dialled her number. When she picked up the phone she huffed. "Come on pretty lady, that's not the way a guy wants to be greeted."

"You're lucky I didn't honk," she replied.

"Honk?"

"Yes, honk. Like a goose. I don't think I can honk like a goose. I can honk like a car horn, sort of."

"What exactly does honking have to do with anything crazy girl?"

"If I could it would be appropriate as I am currently on a wild goose chase. Perhaps if I could honk I could catch this pesky goose."

"You are making even less sense then normal sweet thing. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Hotch there?" she asked.

"No."

"Good. Okay, so get this before he goes he tells me to look into the victims' victims. Why the hell would the answer be with them? There's--no lie--fifty names, and guess what? The only thing all these women have in common is that they were raped and their icky pervy attackers got away."

"He's having you check the rape victims. Isn't that a waste of time?"

"Honk, honk, Pretty Boy. He told me to hold up on that."

"Why?"

"If I knew that I would tell you. I need an order."

"An order? Baby Girl this isn't the best time for that. It's no fun to order you around over the phone with Reid in the room. It'll make him uncomfortable."

"I like the way that dirty little mind of yours works but that's not what I'm saying. You may be very pretty and smart but you are being adorably oblivious to what I am asking you. I need the order."

"The order?"

Reid shook his head. "This order, hey Garcia we need you to check for anything all these victims have in common in order to complete the profile."

"Thank you Boy Genius. It's nice to know there are still a few men in this world that think with the right head. I'll call you back when I have something juicy for you."

"I don't want juicy. I need something we can use."

"I can do that. I'll call you when I find it. Behave yourself boys."

"Thank you," Morgan said before hanging up the phone.

Reid was still staring down at the sheets of paper in front of him, still trying to find out what about this was so familiar to him. He hated when he couldn't get the information he needed out of his head. He sighed, frustrated, and began to read the files again.

"You know reading them a hundred times isn't going to change what they say?" Morgan asked.

"I'm aware, but I am missing something. There is something familiar about all of this. Why can't I put my fingers on it?" sighed Reid.

"Fair enough**. **If I knew the answer to that I'd help you find it. So Hotch actually told Garcia to research something that was a waste of time? Why would he do that?"

"We'll find the answer to that when we get a call back from Garcia. Something is not adding up here. Hotch is acting strange, he's leaving us both to work on a profile we have already finished. One which he doesn't think we have but that everyone else knows is right. There is something familiar about this whole case, and he is ignoring the agents he used to work with here."

"We could call Hotch and tell him _he_ fits the profile for the male unsub. He's certainly acting strange enough. Maybe then he'll tell us what he is thinking."

"I doubt it. I think that whatever Garcia is going to find is what he is thinking, and he's not ready to share it."

"Even if it means more victims?" asked Morgan.

"He never tried to convince Garcia that these guys didn't deserve to die. Rossi tried to explain it, and you're the one who made her see it. A victim is a victim. Hotch really doesn't care if these guys are killed. Like the unsub he thinks their lives aren't worth anything."

"This case is annoying as hell. If no one thinks these guys are worth anything why are we here? We are running around in circles while a serial killer is running five steps ahead of us. What do we do?"

"All we can do is wait for Garcia to work her magic."

"Thank God that woman is amiracle worker."

"I just hope she gets us the information in time. As much as I don't want to save a rapist, I really don't want to look at another picture of a tied up dead guy with a bullet to the back of his head. It makes me think of war photographs."

"So we just wait?"

"Yeah, we wait."

Morgan looked up, having looked up from the crime scene photos. "I don't think she's in law enforcement anymore."

"Why?"

"She would have something better then rope to handcuff her victims with. She knows the ins and outs of the crime scenes, but she no longer actually does the job."

"That does make a lot of sense. Hotch is going to be pissed with us both when he comes back and we've added to the profile that he thinks is wrong."

"I know, but I am not working on a profile I know is wrong. This is a waste of time. We might as well sit here and play paper ping pong."

Reid nodded. "You're right. I think this is the first time Hotch has ever kept anything important from us."

"I was thinking that too, why would he do that?"

"He's trying to protect us from something. As much as he hates that Mom and Dad thing, they both try to protect us from things."

"So why did we take the case?" Morgan asked.

"Have you ever tried to argue with JJ when she has made up her mind? She wanted to take this case. It's her job to choose them."

"You're right, that woman is a force to be reckoned with. If we knew what was locked up inside Hotch's head we might actually figure this out."

"Or mine. But I can't get it out. I'm going to get some more coffee, want one."

"Yes."

Reid left the office in search of the coffee maker which he quickly found. He poured two cups adding sugar to one, leaving the other one black. He put a stir stick in his own. The last time he had mixed up the coffees and that was not a mistake he cared to repeat.

End part 4

Notes: This part is long. I must be stalling. Bomb hit next chapter I promise. I hope you liked my Mogan/Garcia play so much fun to write.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 5)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. The unsub is revealed and we take a turn toward the Reid-train.  
Notes: Okay so I have tortured you lovelies long enough. I think. I'm telling you the bomb will be worth the looonnnggg detonation wire. You'll see. There are some very smart cookies reading this who have guessed correctly. Yay you!

* * *

Garcia had been working on the connection between the victims for about an hour. She was getting tired, but at least she knew this time she was not wasting her time. Garcia stared at the name that popped up on her computer screen dumbfounded. She couldn't believe it so she ran the search again, with the same result."You are lying!" she snapped at the screen waiting for the second results, which popped up with the same name. "No, no don't say that," she mumbled at the screen.

She couldn't believe that that name was the only thing that connected all of these people. She ran the search again, and the same name appeared. She decided to run it a few more times, always with the same result. She nearly fell out of her chair when she heard her phone ringing.

"Tell me you have something amazing for us Gorgeous," Morgan said, not even bothering with a greeting. He then looked at the screen, and she was crying. "Baby Girl?" She didn't respond. "Penelope. What's wrong?"

The rest of the team were all watching in disbelief. They had seen Garcia over-react and even cry over a lot things but it was usually about something she had seen, or a member of the team. They hoped they would get an answer as to why she was so upset soon.

"This is bad. Very bad," she whispered blinking at the screen a few times. "This always works for Jeannie."

"What is going on?" a very confused Morgan asked.

"My computer has never lied to me before," she whispered. "But this can't be right."

"What can't be right?"

"The only name in common in all the cases is," she paused, tears starting to fall down her cheeks again, "Elle Greenaway."

"Garcia! Check it again!" snapped Hotch. "There must be some mistake!"

"I _have _Sir. Five times," she explained. "Every time it comes up the same, Elle, it's always Elle."

"She fits the profile," reasoned Morgan. "Do you still think we were wrong about it?"

"No," replied Hotch surprisingly calm.

"I'm sorry. I need to go," Garcia whispered, hanging up, and the screen went blank.

"All right, so if this is Elle. What's her stressor?" Morgan sighed.

"Me," mumbled Reid.

Everyone's necks snapped around**. **All of their eyes focused on the youngest member of their team. He had just fallen into a chair, and he was drained of all colour. He ran his hand through his straggly hair. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, but he knew that it was his fault.

"What could you have possibly done to be the stressor Reid?" asked Rossi.

"In Ohio, the night before everything with Lee," Reid explained. "I went to her room, and we had a few drinks. And we – I'll spare you the details, but I think you can use your imaginations to fill in the blanks as to what happened."

"You never told me?" Morgan asked. "You and Elle, really, wow I didn't think you had it in you man."

"This isn't the time for that," sighed Hotch. "What else happened?"

"About three months later I saw her. She told me she was pregnant," Reid explained. "I tried to tell her I'd help. I'd do whatever she wanted. I wanted to be there for her. She told me she just wanted me to know. After a lot of fighting, she agreed that I could meet the baby after it was born. I never heard from her again. I assumed it was because the baby wasn't mine after all."

"She must have lost the baby," whispered JJ. "I'll get Garcia to check. I know Elle. She would never have let her child grow up not knowing the father. She never would have hurt Spence by lying."

"We _knew _Elle," Hotch insisted. "We knew her before she was an unsub."

Reid had tears in his eyes. "I should have known that something horrible had happened. I should have found her. I could have helped her. I could have-"

"Do not finish that sentence, man," warned Morgan. "You did not cause this. You did not do anything wrong here."

"Not saying it out loud won't stop me from feeling it. If only I had listened to her, done what she had asked then we wouldn't be here right now."

"What did she ask?" Prentiss asked.

"She wanted me to quit the BAU so that we could be a family," Reid explained.

"Why didn't you?" Morgan queried.

"Same reason you don't run to Vegas with every woman you've slept with. I didn't love her anymore. Not after I knew what she did to Lee."

"She admitted it?" Hotch asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Reid nodded. "She told me that if I told anyone I would never be able to see my son or daughter. It was selfish and likely stupid but I wanted to know my child after what happened with my father. I never thought she'd kill another person. Not after she became a mother."

"But she didn't," a familiar voice came through the speakers. "I'm sorry Reid. I found the hospital record. I'll send you all the information I found."

"Thanks Garcia," he mumbled then looked up at the team. "I can't work this case. I am beyond personally involved."

Rossi nodded. "Go home Reid."

"I'll be in Las Vegas if you need me."

With that Reid left the room. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He needed his mother. Somehow even with all her problems he knew she would somehow make it better. He knew he also needed to look at the file Garcia had just sent him, even if it was going to devastate him.

End part 5

Notes: Was it worth it? huh? Huh? Was it? Reid most defiantly needs a hug. There are a few really good fics about Reid and Elle hooking up in the ep "Aftermath" so Hidge, mablereid and Nikki1005 thanks for the plot bunny if you are reading this.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 6)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. Reid needs his mommy after finding out what happened.  
Notes: What happened to the baby happened to a woman I know, it's horrible, but true. I am glad there are some people enjoying this and leaving me a bone here and there. It's been a hard fic to write.

* * *

Reid looked down at the file Garcia had sent him in disbelief. Elle had given birth to a still born baby boy. She hadn't lied about anything. He read the cause of death, the umbilical cord had detached. He wiped his tears thinking of Elle being all alone in a hospital room giving birth to a child that she knew was already dead. He wished he had known how to findher, so that he could have been there for her.

His phone rang and he jumped two feet he was so startled. He picked it up, knowing that it was probably Garcia. He could use some cheering up after the blow he had just been given. He knew she would be able get his mind off of everything even it was only for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry Reid. I thought you needed to know the truth," said Garcia. "I didn't send the rest of them that information."

"Thank you. I'm glad I know the truth. I just feel so guilty. She had to go through that alone."

"She chose to go through it alone. She could have found you, but she didn't. You couldn't have done anything to help her."

"I could have gotten you to find her."

"She doesn't want us to find her," Garcia assured him. "Trust me I've tried a few times. I wonder though-"

"What are you thinking?"

"Trust me Reid. You do not want to know what I am thinking about how she is hiding right now. Not after what you just found out. Go see your mother. She'll help you with this I know it."

As she spoke she began to type in a name on her screen. Sure enough by searching the name Elle Reid she was able to find out what her former co-worker had been doing the last few years. Reid had been right about her living in Seattle again. She sent the information that she had found to the rest of the team. She knew it would upset Reid if she told him the truth.

"You're a good friend," he told her.

"I try. You know I love you right?"

He smiled a little. "I think I needed to hear that."

"I know you did, that's why I said it. I really dropped a bomb on you, and I'm sorry for that."

"I needed to know the truth about what happened. It was eating me up wondering if one day a kid would come find me and ask me why I was never in his or her life."

"I think I might have forgotten to send you a part of what I found."

"More bad news?" sighed Reid.

"No, I saved you the good news. I wanted to tell you myself. I got the information about where the baby is buried. So you can visit him."

"I'm not sure when I'll be ready, but I think I want to go. Would you come with me the first time?"

"Of course I will. You'll never believe what she named him."

"Please just tell me. No games," begged Reid. "Today has already been hell."

"Spencer Greenaway. She named him after you. When you visit him you'll know his name."

"Wow. I guess she really did love me at some point."

Garcia knew from what she had just found that Elle had. "She did, and maybe somewhere in there she still does. We don't know what else happened or what is happening in her head for her to do this."

"Either way she isn't the same person we used to know. She's not the woman I thought I loved. This is a lot to swallow. First she's our unsub, then all this about the baby. I don't even know how to start to get over this."

"I know, and we'll all be there for you when you get back."

"Thank you. I'm almost at the front of the line. I'll call if I need anything else."

Reid was soon on a plane on his way to see his mother. He had brought a few books with him to read on the plane ride. He pulled the first one out, but found that he was having trouble concentrating. He had too much on his mind. He just hoped that his mother was well enough to see him, and would be able help him somehow.

He was surprised when the plane landed, but was also relieved. He had been spoiled from travelling with the team, and having to sit in cramped seats with strangers made him uncomfortable. The woman next to him kept trying to talk to him, but his mind was elsewhere, and she thankfully caught someone else's ear.

He got his bags, and then went to rent a car. It took him almost no time to get Bennington Sanitarium where his mother lived. He was glad. He just hoped that she was in a state to actually have visitors. He knew he should have called ahead, but after what had happened there was a part of him that needed his mother. He walked into the building, and the doctors and nurses greeted him.

"Spencer, this is a surprise," a young woman said smiling at him. Reid had hired her to read to his mother a few times a week. "You usually call us before you come to visit."

"I know, something came up," he explained. "Do you know how she's doing?"

"She's doing really well actually. You were right about reading to her, she loves it. She talks about you all the time. She's going to be so thrilled you came."

"I'm sure. I wish it was under better circumstances. Thank you for doing this for us Sophia."

"I love visiting with her. When she is having a good day she has so much to say, and so much to teach. It's pretty cool. Mind if I go with you, maybe tell her I have a surprise for her?"

"Sure. I think she'd like that."

Sophia had lived next door to them when he was growing up. They had drifted apart mostly because of the way he was able to speed through school. When he had put out the ad for someone to read to his mother she had replied, and he remembered the name. He knew that having someone familiar would help his mother, and he liked getting to know her again. The two of them walked together to Diana Reid's room.

"Missus Reid I have a surprise for you," Sophia said smiling.

"Please tell me it's not another soon to be classic," said Diana.

She laughed. "No, I'll stick with the stuff you like from now on. Don't worry, come in."

"Spencer!" Diana exclaimed as Reid came into the room, a huge smile on her face.

"Hi Mom," said Reid. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good, even better now that I get to see you. This is a very nice surprise."

He went over and gave her a hug, and he began to cry. Sophia excused herself silently. She wanted to help her old friend, but knew that he needed his mother then. Diana hugged her son tightly, letting him cry. She smoothed his hair like she did when he was younger.

"Spencer you need a hair cut," she said.

Reid couldn't help but smile a little. "I've been busy Mom. I would have done it before I came here, but I kind of. I just needed to see you."

"What's going on?"

"Do you remember me telling you about Elle Greenaway?"

"Yes, the young woman you used to work with? She left after she had to shoot a man in self defence."

"That would be her. We found out today she might be killing the rapists that she caught and got away."

"So why aren't you with the team helping them to find her?"

He shrugged, **"**Because it's too personal. It's my fault she is doing this."

"How can her going around killing people be your fault Spencer?"

"I think I was her stressor."

She took a deep breath. "Please no profiler speak, what are you talking about?"

"Right before all of this started something happened, and it may have been my fault. Actually it might have been my fault she killed that guy after the case."

"I thought it was self-defence?"

"It wasn't after all. The night before she killed him, I went to her room to talk to her, and well-" his voice trailed off, and he began to blush.

"All right, I don't need the details. What else happened?"

"It turns out that she got pregnant. She told me about the baby. I wanted to be in his life. I wanted to do the right thing, but she wouldn't let me."

"So what happened?"

"We had a fight about everything. She wanted me to quit the BAU and elope with her but I couldn't do that. Not after she told me that she actually killed that guy, and I just- I only wanted to know the baby. I didn't want him to grow up like I did wondering why his father was never there. Then I never heard from her again."

She hugged her son again. "How is this your fault? She asked you to do something impossible, and admitted something to you that she knew you would never accept. She would have known that if she really loved you. What happened to the baby?"

"I should have known she would not have kept me from the baby. I should have gotten Garcia to find her. Something when I didn't hear from her. It turns out she lost the baby. Garcia found all the medical records. I can't say it out loud, but what happened was horrible. That's what made her start doing what she is doing."

"Spencer you didn't cause this. You know that. If she had wanted you to help her with her loss she would have come to you."

"So why does it hurt so much Mom?"

"Because at some point you loved her and now she has become something you hate. That hurts no matter how you look at it."

Reid began to cry again. "But I don't hate her. I don't feel the same way I once did, but-" he took a deep breath. "If I knew where she was I'd want to protect her."

She smoothed his hair. "You will always feel that way Spencer, you can't change that. But she chose what she chose and it has nothing to do with you. I know you are smart enough to know that."

"So why does it hurt so much?"

"Because it always hurts most to lose the first person you love Spencer. I'm sorry I can't tell you something more comforting."

"When will it stop hurting?"

"It won't stop. But I promise you that it will hurt less when it's not so fresh in your mind. It's one of those things that you need to give time, and meet someone new."

"I don't know when I will be ready for that honestly."

"I understand Spencer. Now since we scared Sophia away how about you read to me today?"

"I'd like that. I bought a new book for the plane ride, but I couldn't really shut off my brain to read it."

"Then let's read it together."

He smiled and took the book out of his messenger bag, and sat down in the chair next to her. He flipped it open and began to read to her. This had always helped him to stress down. He might even be able to fall asleep.

End part 6

Notes: I just thought Reid needed to get away for a bit. Don't worry I didn't exactly send him away, he ends up still being inovloved. He does have his cellphone he just needed his mommy.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 7)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. Reid finds out Elle is in town, what happens when he confronts her?  
Notes: I wanted to write the scene after metioning it a few times. I decided not to make it a nightmare. Oh right and I might be evil again.

Warning!!! Character death

* * *

"_It's been a while," said Reid softly._

"_I know, I'm sorry," Elle replied. "I wasn't ready to see anyone from the team before now. But I had to see you Spencer."_

_He nodded, unsure what to say. "You look good Elle."_

_She shrugged. "That's nice of you to say. Thank you for lying. I look like shit."_

"_Don't say that. You do look good to me."_

"_Maybe that's because you are sex deprived."_

"_It has nothing to do with that. I'm just glad to see you. I thought I wouldn't again after you quit."_

"_I wasn't planning on seeing any of you again. But I thought you deserved to know."_

"_To know what?" he asked, confused._

"_That I'm pregnant."_

_Reid's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Elle was telling him that she was pregnant. He knew the baby had to be his. This wasn't the way he had expected to find out that he was going to be a father. He wanted to be married, to a woman who would understand the risks that came with that. Despite being terrified he was thrilled. He wanted to be involved._

"_Really?" he asked grinning. "Wow. So we're going to be parents?"_

_"Yeah, I guess so. I just wanted you to know, so that you're not surprised."_

"_I am going to be involved. I can't do what my father did to me Elle you have to know that I'll do anything to be involved."_

"_I don't even know for sure what I'm feeling right now."_

_"I didn't say we needed to get married, but we are both going to be involved in this child's life. Elle, I could never live with myself if I knew that I did to my child what my father did to me. It hurts not knowing why you only have one parent. You would not have told me if you didn't want me to be a part of this."_

_She shrugged. "There is a part of me that wants us to try to be a family. But I don't know if we can do that right now."_

_"Why not? We can try living together, see how that goes."_

"_I don't want to be like Hailey Hotchner and have to take a backseat to the BAU."_

"_It would be different, I am not in the position of authority, nor do I want to be, and you've done this job, you know what it involves."_

"_Even still the BAU takes up a lot of your time. Spencer you could do any job in the world."_

_"I like my job, and I don't want to change it right now. Especially if I am feeling bullied into it," he sighed. "Right now I have no good reason to quit my job."_

"_What about me? Couldn't the baby and me be a good reason to quit so that we know you'll come home to us?"_

_"Elle I don't even know how I feel about you yet. Maybe when the baby is born I might change my mind. Right now, though, it's not responsible to quit my job when I find out there is a baby on the way."_

_"You're always so methodical Spencer. It's one of the things I love about you."_

_"Y-you love me?" _

_She nodded. "I was afraid of it for a long time. But I do. No one has ever been as sweet and gentle with me before. I want that for the rest of my life. I just don't know that I can have that while you are with the__ BAU."_

"_Why is that so important to you?"_

_"You might tell Hotch I killed Lee."_

_All the colour drained from Reid's face. He could not believe what he was hearing. She had just admitted to him that she had killed a man. Now she was looking at him, expecting him to do or say something comforting, but he couldn't. He didn't know what she wanted from him, but he knew he couldn't give it to her._

"_Elle, I don't think I can do this," he whispered._

"_Do what?"_

_"Be in love with you when you just told me that. But I need to be a part of this baby's life, you can't deny me that."_

_She nodded. "If I find out you told anyone what I told you I promise you will never see this baby. Do you understand me?"_

_"Yes I do. I won't tell anyone."_

_"I'll call you when I go into labour."_

_She kissed his cheek and left the coffee shop they were in. He wanted to go after her but he knew that he couldn't. If he followed her he knew that she would somehow convince him to do something her really didn't want to do. Just like that night in the hotel room. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with her, he just wanted to wait until they were both sober, but she was a very persuasive woman, so he just sat there, staring at his quickly cooling coffee cup. His phone began to ring._

Reid was startled awake by the chirping of his cell phone. He answered it quickly, so not to wake Sophia up. She had agreed to let him stay at her apartment instead of wasting money on a hotel room while he was in town. He appreciated not being alone, even if it meant sleeping on a couch.

"Hello?" he said softly and groggily.

"Hey Reid it's me," Garcia said. "Sorry if I woke you."

"It's all right."

"Where are you staying? I couldn't find any record of you checking in to any of the hotels."

"I'm staying with a friend. I know you didn't wake me to ask me where I was sleeping. What's going on?"

"I found Elle**. **She's been in Nevada the last week. I think she might be there to hurt someone else."

"What can I do about that?"

"She's staying a few blocks from where your mother lives. I'm thinking she's going to hit somewhere close. I was looking to see if you might be at the same hotel that's the only reason I know you're not staying at any of the local hotels."

"Spencer?" asked Sophia. "What's going on?"

"Who's that?" Garcia asked.

"The friend I'm staying with. Sorry I woke you Sophia. Someone from work just called. Garcia I'll call you back okay?"

"Sure, have fun Reid."

He shook his head and hung up the phone. Sophia had come out of her room, wearing a light blue cotton bathrobe. She sat down next to Reid smiling at him, trying to reassure him that he wasn't alone.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"The woman I told you about might be here. I need to find her before she kills someone," he sighed, standing up, and pulling on a pair of pants.

"I thought you said you couldn't work the case because you were too involved?"

"I might not find her. But I have to look, at least until the team gets here. I could never live with myself if she killed someone under my nose."

She brushed a piece of hair from his face. "Do what you have to do. Be careful though all right?"

He nodded. "I promise I will Sophia. If I find her I just have to talk to her before all the charges come into play."

"I understand. Good luck. Here's my spare key. If I'm at work whenever you get back feel free to use my room Spencer."

"Thank you. I'll see you later Sophia."

Reid left, not really sure what he was looking for. He knew that it was unlikely that he would find her but he couldn't just sit around and wait for something else to happen. He knew after the call he had just received he would not be able to get any sleep. At least if he was out driving he wouldn't feel like he was sitting on his hands if something happened.

He then realised there was only one hotel near where his mother lived. He decided to there, to see if maybe he would see Elle there. He knew it was a long shot, but he needed to try to help. He wanted to see her before the rest of the team found her. He needed to talk to her. Reid soon pulled into the hotel parking lot and sat in his car for a few minutes, until he saw a familiar silhouette.

"How does it feel to be watched?" Reid asked getting out of the car.

She jumped startled. "You scared me!" she snapped. "How did you find me?"

"That was the point. You had to know that we would find out what you were doing eventually."

She moved closer to him, running her hand through his hair. "What are you talking about Spencer?"

"It came across JJ's desk a few days ago. That's why I'm here; to get away. Garcia found everything. You couldn't hide forever. You know that. The team is on their way here. They are going to find you."

"Why did you come alone?"

He shrugged. "I'm not working this case. I was visting my mother. I wanted to see you. You don't look any different. But you killed those people."

"They deserved to die. They were scum."

"You don't get to make that decision, Elle."

"So you came to judge me like everyone else?"

"No. I came to say – I don't know. That I would have been there when you lost the baby, I was always a phone call away."

"It's easy to say that now!" she spat. "I was the one who was in that room alone! I'm the one who knew what was going on. You have no idea Reid. You never will!"

"No, I will never know what it felt like. But I would have helped you, somehow."

"It's too late for that now isn't it?"

"You never gave me the chance," he reminded her.

"Why should I have after what you did to me?"

"I- I never did anything to you Elle. That night, it was mutual. You said so yourself."

"I was drunk!"

"You said you weren't. I asked you, several times. Besides I had been drinking too, on your instance. I realise it was a bad choice, but we made it together**. **Do not accuse me of hurting you like that! I would never hurt you. You really have changed."

"The genius gets it. Yes, something like that does change someone. It makes them see things more clearly. Why should we try to be good people if the best things in your life get ripped away when there are slime balls running around living their lives all around us!"

"Killing people is not going to change how the world works. There is no answer to that question," Reid tried to reason with her. "Elle you used to help put people like that away, and yes, some are bound to get away. You turned into the thing you once hated."

"Stop! Don't say that! I never hurt those men the way they hurt their victims. I did them and women everywhere a favour! They can't hurt anyone where they are now."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" she asked.

"When they catch you?"

"They don't have to catch me. With your smarts we could hide forever."

Reid looked at her dumbfounded. "How could you possibly think I still love you after what you have done."

"So you did love me?"

"Yes, I think I did. Until you told me what you did to Lee, and now you've done it to tweleve other men. You expect me to still have feelings for you?"

She moved closer to him, touching his hair. "You'll always have feelings for me Spencer. You can't help yourself."

"Maybe I will. But I never want to see you again."

She pressed her lips against his, shocking him. He then felt her hands fumbling with his belt. By the time he realised that she was distracting him it was too late. She had his gun in her hands, and pushed him away from her.

"W-what are you doing?" he asked, scared, and confused.

"I'm making it so you never have to see me again. Like you requested."

"I didn't mean like that. I meant, I don't know what I meant," Reid stammered.

"You meant you never wanted to see me again," she said, holding the gun to him. "I am not going to go to jail for this."

"They are going to be here soon. I can call," he reached into his pocket, and realised that his phone wasn't there either.

"Help me hide!" she spat.

"I can't do that! Elle you know I can't do that! I can't help you to hide from the only friends I have in the world. I can't just leave my whole life behind to run off with a woman who is obviously suffering from a psychotic break!"

"Stop profiling me! I don't want to think about anything to do with the fucking BAU!"

"I told you the last time I saw you that if that was true we cannot be together, and that was before you killed more people."

Tears began to fall down her face. "You don't understand Spencer I had to hurt those men. They would have hurt me, just like Lee!"

"You told me yourself that Lee was unarmed. You are starting to believe your own lies Elle. If you just turn yourself in I'll make sure that they know that you are unstable. They'll put you somewhere where you can't hurt anyone."

"Like that dungeon you put your mother in! That's worse Spencer. Why do you feel the need to put everyone you love in an institution?"

"I want to help you," he told her.

"Then let me to do this!"

Reid had been staring into her eyes, but when she said that he squeezed them shut. He didn't want to see what she was going to do him. He was terrified, but didn't think Elle would hurt him. Reid knew that she wasn't the same person he used to know, but he had to believe she couldn't hurt anyone she cared for. He heard a gun shot.

End part 7

Notes: Okay this is evil, I am aware... have i got you haning onto the edge of your seat? Will update tomorrow promise. (unless ff(dot)net does something dumb and makes a liar of me.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Part 8)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: An unsub is killing men who have gotten off on rape charges. The team arrives to pick up the pieces.  
Notes: Sorry about the cliffhanger. Mega drama I know. I'm a horrible person, but it makes for an interesting read. I hope you are enjoying it.... one more part and we are done :(

* * *

Garcia was shocked when a report about shots being fired at the hotel Elle was staying in popped up on her screen. She knew the team had only just landed, and they could not have gotten to the location that quickly. She tried to call Reid to make sure he was all right, but didn't get an answer. She was very worried, but tried to keep her emotions in check. Garcia then decided to call Morgan.

"Hello Beautiful," he said. "You're on speaker so behave your naughty self."

She smiled a little, glad for the distraction. "Sorry my lovely profilers this isn't gonna be one of those calls. I just got confirmation that there were shots fired at the hotel where Elle has been staying."

"You're saying we're gonna have a fresh victim when we get there?" Rossi asked.

"Yes, but that's not the worst of it. I kind of did something bad. And I don't mean the kind of bad that is kind of fun. I mean the totally not good kind of bad," she stammered.

"What did you do?" Hotch asked.

"I might have called Reid to tell him that Elle is in Las Vegas. I only did it because I didn't want him to see her on his way to visit his mother. I didn't want him to be totally shocked or whatever. I thought he deserved a heads up that she was staying close to where his mother lives. Then I realised that Reid is well Reid and he'd want to fix this. I never told him where she was actually staying. Maybe he didn't find her?"

"Baby Girl if you didn't think Reid found her and that call might be about them you wouldn't have called," Morgan said.

"You might not have told Reid where she was, but you _know _Reid," added Prentiss. "You have him just enough information so that he could figure out where she was staying. There is no way he doesn't know that hotel in his home town."

"I'm sorry. I fubared everything, didn't I?" Garcia whispered. "I didn't mean to I just- I don't even know what I was thinking."

"You were just trying to help a friend Garcia. That's who you are. You didn't do anything wrong," explained JJ, hoping to comfort her friend.

"Reid! Pick up your stupid phone!" she growled, feeling like she was going to break down.

"It's okay, he probably forgot to charge it," Morgan tried to reassure her. "We're only a few blocks away. We'll know what this is all about in a few minutes. You want to stay on the line until we know what happened?"

"Yeah," she said. "The police scanner is reporting needing more then an ambulance. This is bad. This is terrible. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never thought that-" she began to cry.

"It's gonna be okay."

The team pulled up to the hotel not surprised to see coroners' leaving. They quickly piled out of their SUV, their badges already out was the crossed the police tape. They were all relieved to see Reid; now sitting on the curb in the parking lot in front his car, in shock. They knew this it was their former colleague and friend who had passed them in some way as they came in. A couple of paramedics were trying to talk to him but he didn't say anything. He looked up seeing the team coming over to him.

"What happened?" Hotch asked, having to pull himself together long enough to get the story.

"Elle she – kissed me. Took my gun. Shot. Dead," he stammered.

"Who's dead?" asked Morgan, although he already knew the answer.

"Elle. She shot herself."

"With your gun?" asked Hotch.

Reid nodded. "She distracted me. I'm sorry. By the time I realised, she had the gun from my belt."

"This is going to be a lot of paperwork. But I'm glad you're all right."

"Relatively," he sighed. "The first woman I've ever loved just shot herself in front of me. I'm not sure I know the best word to describe what I am feeling right now. I'm going to need some more time off."

"That's fine Reid. You know there is going to bean investigation. Next time just promise me you will bring you damn phone before you go chasing an unsub on your own."

"Sure Hotch. I know. Right now I just want to leave here, and try to forget about what happened."

"Where are you staying I'll drive you over," Morgan offered.

"I'm staying with an old friend. I'll give you directions. Is there anything I need to do here?"

"No, the locals are talking with some witnesses. Just keep your phone with you."

"I must have left it at Sophia's."

"Sophia?" Morgan asked surprised. "You're staying with a lady?"

"She's just a friend, and after what just happened I don't think I'm looking for anything else. The first woman I loved turns out to be a serial killer after being a member of this team when I met her. I don't think I'm ready to ruin anyone else's life."

"You know what happened wasn't your fault."

"I'm not sure what I know about this right now," Reid sighed. "All I know is that I finally thought I had stopped the nightmares and now there is something worse to dream about. Uh, this is my rental car."

Morgan took the keys from him. "I'll get someone to pick me up later."

"Thank you."

The two men got into the rental car. Morgan wasn't sure what to say to reassure his friend. Reid just gave him the directions not really in the mood to talk. Morgan wanted to help his friend but he wasn't sure how. When he pulled up to the house, hewas a little surprised to see a woman standing outside. She ran up the car and hugged Reid when he got out.

"Spencer I heard that something happened. I thought you were hurt," she whispered, hugging him tightly. "I really don't want to have totell your mother something terrible has happened to you when you're supposed to be off of work."

"I wasn't hurt Sophia. I'm sorry, I never thought about that. I left my phone here or I would have called you."

"What happened? You have blood on your hands."

"Must have been from when I checked her pulse. It's strange I knew she couldn't have survived, but I still had to check. Mind if I use your shower?"

"Go ahead."

Reid went into the house without another word. Sophia stood there stunned. Morgan then got out of the car. He walked over to the woman, smiling at her.

"So you're Reid's friend Sophia?" he asked.

"Yeah, who are you?" she asked.

"Derek Morgan, I work with him."

"I should have guessed. Spencer says you hit on anything that moves. I guess you behaving yourself must have thrown me off."

He laughed. "I wouldn't hit on a friend's woman."

"I'm not his woman, as you so eloquently put it. I'm an old friend. We used to be neighbours until I moved away. Although we were the same age we were never in the same grade so I never saw him again, until I applied for a job reading for a woman at Bennington which ended up being his mother**. **We are just friends."

"I still wouldn't do that to Reid."

"You're a good friend. What happened?"

"I'm not sure if he told you about Elle, but she shot herself tonight, with Reid's gun. He's shaken up."

"Yeah I bet he is. I'm glad he's not staying at a hotel right now. He needs a friend."

Morgan nodded. "You're right he does, and one who can't profile him."

"I can be that friend. It was nice to meet you. How are you getting back to where you're staying?"

"I think I'm going to walk. I have a few things on my mind."

"All right, you shouldn't be alone either."

"I won't be. I have my cell and goddess on the other end. No need to worry about me. It was good to meet you."

"Same to you, see you later," she assured him before going inside in search of Reid.

She heard the shower was on, so she picked up a book that had fallen out of his bag and began to read it. She smiled when she saw him come wearing his pyjamas. He smiled at her weakly when he sat down next to her.

"So did you see her do it?" she asked.

"I shut my eyes. I thought she was going to shoot me. There was so much blood," he sighed.

"Did you love her?"

"I think a part of me will always care about her. She was my friend, and we almost had a child together. But she also killed all of those people. She wasn't the same person I used to know. I just – I don't know how to feel right now."

"You can mourn who she was even if she turned into something scary in the end."

He nodded. "I know you're right. Do you mind if I stay here a few more days?"

"I don't mind at all. It's nice catching up with you."

"You're right. Maybe it will get my mind off of everything that happened."

"I hope so."

He smiled. "That's my favourite book right now**. **You can borrow it if you'd like."

"Thanks."

"Mom will hate it," he laughed. "I left some stuff she'll really like in her room for you."

"Thank you Spencer."

The two ended up talking long into the night.

End part 8

Notes: yeah, I need an epilogue, it'll be sad but end happy I promise. Or geeky more accurately.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: The Fine Line Betwixt Good and Evil (Epilogue)  
Author: Trista Groulx  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pitty. They belong to their creator, network and the writer, actors and actresses who bring them to life each week. I will return most of them unharmed.  
Summary: Reid needs a friend and some time away after everything that happened in Nevada. Garcia to the rescue of course  
Notes: The fic didn't feel finished before, and now it does. I hope you enjoyed my trip down drama lane. I am going to stick to fluff for a little while. I think I may be predicatable as well as evil, oh well....

* * *

Reid took a deep breath as Garcia pulled into a parking space at the cemetery. Although he dealt with death every day, he had always hated cemeteries. He knew he needed to do what he was going to do, and was relieved to not have to go alone. She waited for him to get out of the car, and followed him. It was a shock to see the grave marker with the name Spencer Greenaway. Reid then took a small teddy bear from his messenger bag, and laid it against the stone.

"I'm sorry I never got to know you, Spencer," he whispered. "I'm your dad. I hope that you're with your mother now. She's not a bad person really she was just very sad and made some bad choices. I wanted her to be next to you, but her family decided they wanted her close to them. I'll try to come visit you as much as I can. I wish we could have met you. Everything would have played out differently had you lived."

Tears began to fall down Reid's cheeks. "You don't need to know about all of that. I've been having dreams about getting to meet you. Your mother is even smiling again in them. That lady over there is my friend Penelope she would have loved you very much."

Garcia nodded. "Hi," she said. "I wish we could have met you some other way, but we promise you won't be alone here all the time." She then hugged Reid gently.

Reid was glad for the human contact. He had always found it strange to go to the cemetery and talk to someone who had died. He just needed to go and make his peace with what had happened. Seeing the tombstone had made everything real for him, and he was feeling overwhelmed. He was glad he had a friend with him. Reid hugged Garcia back gently.

"There's so much stuff I want to say, but I've never really believed in heaven and hell, or figured out what happens to you after you die," he sighed.

"No one knows what happens to us, but isn't better to think that he's with his mother right now?" Garcia asked him.

"Yeah, it is. At least then she'd be happy. When she told me about him, she was actually smiling. Not a fake one either, she was so excited. It was what she needed. I just don't understand why stuff like this happens to people."

"I think that every day at work Reid. It's even harder to deal with when it's your friends who are going through something horrible. You and Elle are good people you should have been given a chance to raise your son."

He sighed. "Do you believe she was going to let me be a part of his life?"

"She named him after you. I have to believe she would have, and that I think she really did love at some point."

"Then why didn't she find me when she lost him?"

"You know I can't answer that. That genius mind of yours is looking for answers to questions that you know cannot be answered."

He nodded. "I know. I would have been there for her. Even knowing everything she did to Lee. I did love her, but she never trusted me. It just hurts right now."

"I know Sweetie, it's not fair," Garcia assured him, as he cried. She kissed his forehead. "Maybe she was trying to spare you from this pain."

"She didn't have to suffer alone. I know nothing will change what happened. I just keep thinking about it. I just never thought Elle could be like that."

"No one did. When something horrible happens to you sometimes something snapped. Like you said she just made some bad choices because she was sad. She was probably sick and didn't know how to get help."

"You're probably right." He shivered a little.

"You want to go back to the car?"

He nodded, and followed her back to her car. He took a deep breath, staring at the grave they had just left. He then started to think about that night in Ohio with Elle. He sometimes wished that he didn't have an eidetic memory so that he could forget about parts of his life that he wasn't proud of. He didn't exactly regret what had happened between them, but he wished he could go back and take things more slowly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Garcia asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure you want the details I'm thinking about right now."

"You can save those for Morgan, but what happened between the two of you other then the obvious? It had to be more then just a hook up if you two couldn't even face each other after what happened."

Reid shrugged. "We talked, a lot. She kept telling me how she wasn't sure if she could still trust the team."

"Why didn't you suggest she take more time off?"

"If she took more time off she would have just stewed about it longer. She was so angry, she felt betrayed. I kept trying to reassure her that no one had wanted her to get hurt like that. She was lucky to have survived, but I don't think she saw it that way."

"It's hard to when it's so fresh in your mind."

"I know that now, but I guess I didn't then. I didn't really know what she wanted at first. She just kept filling up my glass. To be honest she may not have drank nearly as much as I thought she did. But she was able to speak to me. Maybe she thought I'd forget it all in the morning. But I can't it's still all in there, clear as the day she confessed everything. Then she started talking about how no man would want her because of what happened to her. She showed me the scars. So I decided to kiss her."

"So you do sometimes think like a man! Doctor Reid I am shocked," Garcia exclaimed trying to break the tension.

"It's very hard not to want to reassure a beautiful woman you have wanted to kiss since you met her. I thought that it would help her feel safe again. I wanted to know that I cared, that I could see past a stupid scar. I never thought that she might misread my intentions."

"What do you mean?"

"Before she – shot herself in Nevada she said I had taken advantage of her that night. She was vulnerable and hurting that night, and I acted like a man when she needed me to act like myself. I just wanted her to know that someone still thought she was beautiful and perfect in my eyes. Maybe that's why she didn't want to tell me when she lost the baby. She was afraid that I would hurt her like I did when she told me about the baby."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I think so. That night I was shocked that she had just told me that she had shot a man in cold blood. I couldn't tell her something like 'oh honey you made a mistake but I'll always love you', I was too shocked."

"So, you do still love her then?" Garcia asked, surprised.

He nodded. "I want to say that I don't, but I never stopped. I know I need to see her as an unsub, as someone who killed thirteen people, like I see all the other monsters we deal with. But I can't. I've tried, but all I can see is that look on her face when she told me about the baby. I had never seen her so happy in all the time I had known her. She wanted to be a mother, and I think she even wanted to be a wife, but I couldn't give her that. I failed her."

She reached out and brushed his face with her hand gently. "Reid you were in shock and she was hiding. I know you would have done the right thing, eventually."

"I don't think she ever knew that, and that's what hurts."

"I truly believe that she does know it now."

He nodded. "I am jealous, not that that is the right word, of your faith. I have always been taught that I need to see, touch, smell, hear or feel something in order for it to be real. As a result I have never been able to see death as anything but a stop to everything. It doesn't change the past, but life just stops and that's all there is to it. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah it does, but it kind of stinks. The way you were talking to Spencer, what was that?"

"Voicing my feelings, I suppose. I don't know that he could hear me, but I needed to say that stuff in order to try and move past it. I want to think that he and Elle could hear me somewhere, but I have no proof. That's why I like magic, because I can teach myself how to make it look like there is something from nothing when there isn't."

"Being a genius sounds complicated. I'm keeping you to your promise to visit him you know?"

"I know, that's why I asked you to come with me. If I don't end up here ever six months or so I know you'll kick my scrawny butt."

"Oh don't you know it!" she assured him. "Maybe if you come here enough you'll believe what I believe, that the people you lose are not gone, they just can't interact with us."

"I mean that's a nice way to think, but I just don't know."

"You'll learn Doctor Spencer Reid if it kills me."

"Thanks Garcia," he said, actually smiling. "I think I need that. I just hope that you don't mean in some creepy scary sci-fi way that people around."

"I don't mean it like that. I mean that they can still see us, maybe our dreams about them are more then just dreams. You know?"

"I think I understand. I'm glad we came today."

"Now talking about sci-fi, are you ready for that convention?"

"Yes, I think I am now. Maybe I can focus on something else."

"Try focusing your friend Sophia, from what I hear she's gorgeous and smart."

Reid gave her a cockeyed look. "Where did you hear that?"

"Morgan. He said he would have tried something with her when they met, but he could tell she was already interested in a certain scrawny genius."

"She's just my friend. Even if I wanted something more, which I'm not sure that I do. I need to get over what happened with Elle. I'm not going to rush into anything and lose her friendship again."

"Just don't leave her hanging for too long. She sounds like she's good for you. She's a teacher, and she likes your mother since she reads to her."

"Well I do pay her to do that," he reminded her.

"Even when you are getting paid you have to like the person to spend that much time with them. You can't tell me you only chose her cause you used to know her."

"I wanted to get to know her again. Even if I wanted something more it wouldn't work right now because we live in different cities. I like the way things are right now."

"I just want you to be happy."

"I am, more or less. I'll be happier when I deal with all of this stuff with Elle. But today was a huge help. I can't believe you actually talked me into dressing up for this thing."

"If we are going to be super geeky my friend we are going to dress up and get into the spirit of the whole thing."

"So who am I again?

She laughed. "You are Fry from Futurama. Do I need to give you the whole schpeel again?"

"No, I remember the back story, I just forgot the name of the guy. And you're Leela, right?"

"Yes, good, you are learning. Now I just need to get you to watch a few episodes and we're set."

"Do I really have to actually act like this character? Isn't enough that I'm gonna dress up?"

"Please just like a couple of episodes in your hotel room while I get ready?"

"I don't know how you talk me into these things Garcia."

"Because no one can say no to this pretty face," she giggled.

They were soon at the hotel they were staying at. Reid took the DVDs Garcia had, and went to his room to watch them while she got ready. He watched a few episodes when he heard a knock at the door. He answered it, now in full costume, as was she. The two of them began to laugh as they made their way back to the car, and toward the convention.

The End

Notes: i just needed an ending that made me smile a little. thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, faved, or alerted this fic. I am glad you enjoyed. Hugz –trista


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